Ant trap



Sept. 8, 1931. D. NETTEKOVEN ANT TRAP Fi1 ed Oct. 50. 1929 INVENTOR 00% NEmE/rm E/V.

Z0 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 8 1 931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DANIEL NETTEKOVEN, OF ESOONDIDO, CALIFORNIA ANT TRAP Application filed October 30, 1929. Serial No. 403,563.

My invention relates to traps for insects, are soldered or otherwise secured to the and more particularly, although not necesouter periphery of the member 18 in order to sarily, to ant traps, a purpose of my invenfixedly secure the member in proper position tion being the provision of an ant trap which within the annulus. This fluted periphery embodies a receptacle adapted to contain of the annulus also provides openings 21 50 water or any other suitable liquid, a bait conwhich constitute entrances through which tainer on the inner side of the receptacle, the ants may find access to the receptacle and entrance openings in the receptacle so body. Other openings 22 in the annulus 16 situated with respect to the bait container provide other entrances for the ants as will as to cause ants seeking the bait to crawl 3e understood. The extensions 20 together 55 over surfaces disposed above the water and with the upper side of the annulus provide to assume inverted and other positions in surfaces over which the ants may find d e which they are made to drop from the suraccess to the member 18 from whence the ants faces and thus precipitated into the Water may travel downwardly at the outer side of wher th y are xterminated the member and then upwardly to the inner 60 I will describe only one form of ant trap side so as to finally gain access to any suitable embodying my invention and will then point bait 23 held within a container 24. out the novel features thereof in claims. T his container 24 is in the form of a ring Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective soldered or otherwise secured to the under one 'form of ant trap embodying my in side of the top of the member 18, and pref- 65 vention. erably centrally thereof so that the ants in Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the gaining access to the bait will be caused to ant trap shown in Fig. 1. traverse the under side of the top of the Fig. 3 is a view showing in plan the ant member and to thus assume an inverted trap illustrated in the preceding views. position; 70

In carrying out my invention, I provide It will be understood that both the recepa receptacle including a body 15 of cup form tacle body and the cover are made of a matewhich is adapted to be partly filled with rial having relatively smooth surfaces in water or any other suitable liquid as illusorder that the purchase of the ants when trated in Fig. 2. The top of the receptacle crawling over the surfaces may be rendered 7 is provided with a cover which includes an as insecure as possible. That the ants may annulus 16 provided at its outer periphery readily reach the topof the receptacle, I-prowith a depending annulus flange 17 that is vide a strip 25 of canvas or other suitable adapted to embrace the top of the body, as material which is secured to theflange 17 by will be understood. As best illustrated in riveting or in any other suitable manner, and 0 Fig. 3, the cover also includes an inverted which extends downwardly to have contact cup-shaped member 18 secured to the annuwith the surface upon which the trap is lus 16 so as to extend both above and below supported. the annulus, but mainly below in order to In practice, the receptacle body 15 is partly form within the receptacle a tubular element filled with water as illustrated, and to a level 35 19 which is disposed directly above the water beneath the lower end of the member 18 in and in spaced relation to the inner walls of order that an intervening space may be prothe receptacle body. vided. With the cover in applied position The inner periphery of the annulus 16 is and thecontainer 24 filled with bait, ants are fluted to provide radial extensions 20 which induced to climb the strip 25 and on to the upper surface of the annulus 16, where they either enter the receptacle through the open ings 21 and 22 or over the extensions 20 and downwardly of the member 18. If they enter the receptacle through the openings 21 and 22 they finally gain access to the inner vertical wall of the receptacle body, and by reason of the fact that this Wall is relatively smooth and disposed perpendicularly, the possibility is enhanced of the ants falling from the surface and into the water. In point of fact, the ants in attempting to traverse the relatively abrupt edges of the walls of the openings 21 and 22 may lose their purchase and fall into the water.

Those ants reaching the member 18 naturally descend the outer surface of the element l9, and if they are so fortunate as to not drop from this surface into the water they ascend the inner surface of the element, finally reaching the under side of the top of the member 18. In traversing this side, the ants are forced to assume an inverted position which further enhances the possibility of losing their purchase and dropping into the water before they actually reach the bait container. The outer surface of the container 2 1 provides another vertical surface which the ants are caused to traverse before reaching the bait, and as the ring 24 is rela tively narrow it presents an edge that is difficult for the ants to traverse without losing their purchase and thus dropping into the water. The same is true of the lower edge of the element 19.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of ant trap embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the spirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ant trap, comprising a receptacle of cup form and adapted to contain water, a cover for the receptacle including an annulus and a flange on the outer edge of the annulus encircling the top of the receptacle, an inverted cup-shaped member secured within the annulus to extend above the annulus and into the receptacle, the inner edge of the annulus being recessed to provide openings between the annulus and said member, a bait container on the underside of said member, and a piece of fabric extending up the outer side of the receptacle to the cover.

2. An ant trap, comprising a receptacle having an open top and adapted to contain water, a cover for the top of the receptacle, provided with openings, an inverted cupshaped member secured Within the cover, a bait container on the underside of said memher, and a piece of fabric extending up the outer side of the receptacle to the cover.

3. An ant trap, comprising a receptacle of 

